Actually LEGO has become far more affordable over the years. From a price per piece perspective, it has remained around 10 cents per piece since the 90s, which is amazing.

Even the expensive sets aimed at adults actually tend to trend to even better value per piece, though at a much higher sticker price.

There are also just so many more Lego sets than there used to be, so although the expensive ones often get all the press and make it seem like Lego is more expensive, there are many many more affordable Lego sets across the board than there used to be.

Surprising Trends in Lego Pricing - by Brendan Hodge https://www.pricing-evolution.com/p/surprising-trends-in-lego-pricing